Environment Report 6 Mar 2000 to 12 Mar 2000

Table of Contents

S/No	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area : Public Health
1	Cancer risk in cleaning French oil slick birds	French National Institute for Risks in the Environment (INERIS) said that volunteers cleaning birds tarred by a massive oil slick off France's western coast risked developing cancer and should stop trying to save the birds.
II. Subject Area : Environmental Agreements
2	UN hazardous wastes protocol opens for signature	The Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage Resulting from the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal has been opened for signature on 6 March in the Swiss capital of Bern.
III. Subject Area : Environmental Technology
3	New sensor could cut weight of cars, increasing fuel efficiency	Researchers at Ames Lab in US have developed a lightweight ceramic-metallic composite sensor to replace the bulky power steering system, which would increase the fuel-efficiency of cars.
4	Recyclable Polymer	Mitsubishi Chemical has developed recyclable polymers to be made commercially available in 2001.
IV. Subject Area : General Environmental News
5	Rate of global warming is accelerating	US researchers have found evidence showing that the rate of global warming is accelerating.
6	New green eco-label for fisheries	The Marine Stewardship Council in London has developed the first global standards and green eco-label for well-managed fisheries.
7	Industry opposes Danish phase out	The European Fluorocarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC, Brussels) has opposed the proposal of the Danish government to phase out use of fluorocarbons in the industry.

SUMMARY REPORT

Period Covered: 6 Mar 2000 to 12 Mar 2000

Item 1	Cancer risk in cleaning French oil slick birds
Summary	Bird sanctuaries around northern Europe have tried to help thousands of seagulls smeared by the sticky fuel oil which poured from the tanker Erika when it sank last December. The oil which belonged to French energy giant TotalFina is still washing ashore and local authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to get people to clean the beaches because of newspapers reports that the fuel was carcinogenic. France's National Institute for Risks in the Environment (INERIS) confirmed that the oil could cause cancer, but people wearing protective clothing faced no danger. However, it said that there was a potential problem for those treating birds, because those people often did not wear gloves and worked in confined areas, meaning that they faced prolonged exposure to the fuel oil. INERIS' deputy director, Jacques Repussard, said that it might be better if they stopped as the majority of the birds that are cleaned will die in any case.
Reference	http://www.planetark.org/

Item 2	UN hazardous wastes protocol opens for signature
Summary	The Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage Resulting from the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was opened for signature on 6 March in the Swiss capital of Bern. The protocol was adopted by the parties at the 5^th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. It would enter into force after receiving twenty instruments of ratification. The protocol will provide a comprehensive regime for determining the liability, and ensuring that prompt and sufficient compensation in the event of damages as a result of transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous wastes and illegal transportation of hazardous wastes.
Reference	http://pollutiononline.com/

Item 3	New sensor could cut weight of cars, increasing fuel efficiency
Summary	Researchers at Ames Lab in U.S, have developed a lightweight ceramic-metallic composite sensor to replace the bulky power steering system. The composite material consists of cobalt ferrite (a compound of cobalt oxide and iron oxide) and small amounts of nickel and silver to hold the material together. The electronic torque sensor regulates the steering power provided to the car's wheels by an electric motor which consumes minimal energy compared to the conventional hydraulics power-steering system. With this new development, auto makers can manufacture lighter, more energy-efficient vehicles using less gasoline, conserving fossil fuels and reducing transportation costs
Reference	http://www.gnet.org/

Item 4	Recyclable Polymer
Summary	Mitsubishi Chemical has developed a new cross-linked polyethylene and polypropylene that melt at high temperature and therefore allows them to be recycled easily. The standard cross-linked polymers are difficult to recycle because of their thermosetting properties, which mean that the materials burn off at high temperature instead of melting. Mitsubishi plans to produce the new polymers at its new plants in Yokkaichi, Japan. These new recyclable polymers are anticipated to reach the market in 2001.
Reference	Chemical Week, 1 March 2000, Page 37

Item 5	Rate of global warming is accelerating
Summary	US researchers from US Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have found that in 1997 and 1998, a string of 16 consecutive months saw record high global mean average temperatures. These records were unprecedented since instruments began systematically recording temperature in the 19^th century. The findings are based on temperature readings around the world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted in 1995 the increase of global temperatures for the 21^st century to be between 1 degree and 3.5 degree Celsius. The NOAA said that their researchers have already observed over the past 25 years an increase that is between 2 degrees and 3 degrees Celsius. The researchers used data from land-based and satellite instruments for their study. They used mathematical and probabilistic models in a series of experiments, concluding that the rate of warming since 1976 is greater than the average rate over the late 19^th and 20^th centuries.
Reference	International Environment Reporter, Vol. 23 No. 5, 1 Mar 2000

Item 6	New green eco-label for fisheries
Summary	The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in partnership with Unilever, a leading consumer goods company has formed the Marine Stewardship Council to look into the improvement of fisheries management. The United Nations has estimated that 60 percent of the world's most valuable fisheries have either been over-fished or fished to the limit. The council has developed the first global standards for well-managed fisheries. Seafood products that have met the Marine Stewardship Council's criteria for sustainable fishing will bear a new eco-label to notify consumers that the product came from sustainable sources. Fisheries operators who are interested in carrying the new green eco-label on their products can be assessed against these criteria on a voluntary basis. The Council hoped that the labeling system would increase market competitiveness for "eco-green" seafood products. This would challenge more fisheries and retailers to be more responsible to the marine environment.
Reference	http://www.gnet.org/

Item 7	Industry opposes Danish phase out
Summary	The European Fluorocarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC, Brussels) has taken legal actions to oppose the proposals made by the Danish government to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in refrigerators and expanded rigid foam by 2002, and commercial refrigeration units and dehumidifiers by 2006. The government has also proposed to phase out the perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The EFCTC said that there are no economic benefits and minimal benefits to phase out HFCs. Moreover the expansion of the stratospheric ozone hole identified by the third European Stratospheric Ozone experiment results from historical emissions and not from failing industry regulations. The committee also stressed that regulators should adhere closely to the Montreal Protocol as the phase out of CFCs stipulated by the Protocol, has significantly reduced emissions in the developed world.
Reference	Chemical Week, 1 March 2000, Page 37

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